I bought my dream home with a creek in the backyardthen the locals started a war

When a Colorado woman bought her dream home on a quiet, rural spot with a creek running through the backyard, she thought she hit the jackpot.Instead, she was soon dubbed the “Wicked Witch of the West” by locals and had to fight the government for ownership.Taralyn Romero tells Realtor.com she had her “American dream shattered and your rose-colored glasses punched off your face” when local residents started crowding in her backyard to use the creek.Then, she was sued by Jefferson County commissioners for ownership of the land, claiming adverse possession, accretion, and public use via prescriptive easement.In January 2021, Romero says she and her fiancé were “spit out into the housing crisis” when their landlord decided to move into their rental.

They decided to buy instead at a time when bidding wars were rampant.“It was chaos to even get in to see a house,” she says.After a month searching for their forever home, they instantly fell in love with a five-bedroom home in Kittredge, CO, on less than an acre of land.“The first line of the listing said it had a creek going through the backyard.The house was right next to a park and had lots of character,” Romero tells Realtor.comRomero bid $840,000—$40,000 over the asking price—and later that night, the offer was accepted.“We felt so blessed,” she says.They did their due diligence by securing an appraisal, title insurance, and an Improvement Location Certificate.

Then they waited for move-in day.Not long after Romero and her fiancé got the keys, they noticed a few people fishing in their backyard creek—which they initially considered no big deal.After all, their property wasn’t yet fenced, but they planned to put one up in the next few months.But before they could erect it, swarms of locals began to descend on the creek once school let out for summer.“I was like, ‘Why are 55 people bringing lawn chairs, coolers, snacks, and beach umbrellas into my backyard to hang out all da...